Treatment of Ethnic

Minorities
Presentation about ethnic Rohingya in Myanmar
 By
Takumi Ogawa

Helton Johan Jose Corona

Chrystal Monique Wibisono

Mafaskhan Effekt
 Contents
♨ About Myanmar

♨ Myanmar Historical Background

♨ Rohingya

♨ Rohingya Treatment in Bangladesh

♨ Crimes Against Humanity

♨ Conclusion
 Myanmar
Location: Southeastern Asia,
between Bangladesh and
Thailand.

Total Area: 676,578 km sq

Total Population: 53,414,374

Population growth rate: 1,096%

Source:
http://5starmyanmar.com/Myanmar-
Myanmar
Religions

Buddhist
Christian
Muslim
Animist
Other
 Economy
Rich in natural resources, especially gas but
mismanagements by the government

The US, UN, Canada and AU have imposed financial

and economic sanctions
 Current major political figures
Than Shwe Aung San Suu Kyi
Senior General &
The leader of National lea-
CSPDC
gue for democracy.

Since 1993, he has been in office and enacted

law regardless of opposition from people.

He resigned his military position in 2003, but
even after the retirement, he succeeded
military power.
She has been released from house arrested last year, 6 days later the
government practiced general election.
She has been general secretary since 1988, when NLD was formed and
working for democratizing myammar.
 Ethnic Group
Burma, making up of over 70% of total population,
dominates politics, economy and other major fields

It is said that there are 135 races, major ethnic groups are
divided into 8 groups

Barma Kayin Rakhine

Myanmar
Ethnic Groups

Burman
Shan
Karen
Rakhine
Chinese
Indian
Mon
Other
 Brief Modern History of
Myanmar
1885 Annexation to the British Empire

Anti-British independent movement during WWI

After the WWII in 1948, got independent from the British

colonial rule

However, the civil war went on until around 1973

Although conflicts are settled, government is the junta and

the rebels are against it
 British Rule:
1824 to1948

Inter-ethnic harmony subverted

Tensions inflamed due to divide and rule of colonial

government

Two tier system of administration – Ministerial

Burma and Frontier Areas
 Ministerial Burma
Traditional Monarchy destroyed –limited
parliamentary home rule introduced

Governed as a province of India

1920’s – 1930’s Nationalists movements by Workers

and Monks
Frontier Areas
 Frontier Areas
Left under control of traditional Chiefs and rulers

Ethnic regiments formed

Suffered from economic neglect

 Post Indenpence
Aung San’s “ Unity in Diversity”
 Military Rule
1962 – 1988: General Ne win’s

“Way to socialism” Centralized state that dictated policy

from Rangoon to ethnic minority states
 Military Rule: SLORC
1988 – Present: SLORC

(State Law Order Restoration Council)

Promised
) open economy & Multi-party democracy.
However, repression continued, political activists
from every ethnic group arrested

Aung San’s daughter Aung Sans Suu Kyi

 SLORC
Aung San’s daughter Aung Sans Suu Kyi arrested
 Rohingya
 Ethnic and religious group of Muslim Minority
 Derived from Arakan Profince, Burma
 Descendant of Persian, Turkish, Bengali and Panthan
traders
 Stateless
 The Rohingya
 Since 1948, large number of Rohingyas left Burma and are
in-exile
 Have long been subjected to:

human right violations,

large-scale persecution,

genocide, ethnic-cleansing,

diabolical tyranny and

extermination by Junta.
♨ According to ARNO, there are 3.5 millions Rohingya
♨ 1,5 millions: departed or forced to flee.

♨ 1991-1992: Biggest exodus;

♨ Biggest exodus

♨ caused 250,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh

 Rohingya in Bangladesh
♨ Up to 2008:

20,000 Rohingya still in refugee camps

100,000 living illegally

Up to 2010, another 6,000 came

♨ Early March 2007, “Tal” is destroyed
♨ Low quality of refugee camps
♨ Their Human Rights violated.
♨ In Nayapara and Kutupalong, Rohingya who venture
outside the camps are denied.
♨ Limiting access of Rohingya refugees to get
international aid.
♨ “We are like football being kicked from one to
another”
♨ Many of them seek another shelter in Thailand and
Malaysia
♨ Today, abuses against Rohingya in Arakan state still
on going
 Crimes against Humanity
The Burmese Government is subjected to Gross Human
Rights Violation

Roman Statute of International Criminal Court

Article 7

“For the purpose of this Statute, ‘crime against

humanity’ means any of the following acts when
committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack
directed against any civilian population, with
knowledge of the attack”
5 prerequisites for the applicability of crimes against
Humanity

There must be an attack ( Rohingya Community was

attacked from past till to date)

The Acts of the perpetrators must be part of the attack

( Junta Military , SPDC , ethnic majority are all
involved )

The attack must be directed against any civilian

population ( in this context – obviously Rohingya
civilian community no evidences of armed rebels in
this community)
 Continued..
The attack must be widespread and systematic
(killings, rapes, forced labour, deportation etc on these
Rohingya people)

The perpetrators must have knowledge of wider context

of the attack (1977 Operation
Nagamin , 1982 Citizenship Law etc (on an ethnic
cleansing mission)

Thus , Rohingya community are the victims

S.E.P (Social , Economical , Political) Pressures

Economic Pressures
(unemployment, forced labour, land confiscation ,
underpayment , debt etc)

Political Pressures
(policies , laws (citizenship law) , insurgency, denial
of legal documents etc )

Social Pressures
(Religion, rejection from other ethnicities, violence
etc)
 Stateless
/Homeless/Rightsless
The root cause of Rohingya community are stateless
within their own country is the citizenship law.

The Burmese government considers Rohingya

community as illegal economic immigrants who came
to leech their resources. This is a false claim or
distort historical facts.
 The Case of Rohingya Community
Regional

This is not a migrant issue but serious social issue that

needs to be addressed

The ways certain countries handling these issues are

despicable and reprehensible.

Eg Thai , Bangladesh , Malaysia

Complicated Challenge for the region of South East

Asia (ASEAN)

Does Bali Process an effective way to tackle the issue?

Additional info- Bali Process
Bali Process brings together more than 50 countries
mainly asian to combat people smuggling, people
trafficking and transnational crimes.

Bali Process does not adequately focus on the rights

of Rohingya people and did not bring any concrete
solutions in the last years Bali Summit.
 Requirement For Regional Solutions
It should be founded on the recognition of the rights of Rohingya
people.

It should be based on the 5 grounding principles

1) Refuge must be provided to those in need of international
protection
- Rohingya refugees and shall not be “pushed back”
- Any regional solution must provide refuge those seeking
international protection.
2) No refugees or Migrants should be forcibly returned
to Burma

They are already in danger such as rape, forced labor,

indefinite detention and restriction on the freedom of
movement.

Rohingya crossing back the burmese border are

sentenced to prison for illegal re-entry and
international authorities are not allowed to monitor
these state of the prisoners

Therefore not a viable option

 3)The rights of refugees and Migrants must be
respected

Argument with the terms “migrants” not “refugees” –

which justifies no international protection should be
given to migrants

However states shall not act discriminatively towards

any migrants. Even illegal migrants are entitled to
various rights under international law.
4)UNHCR must be granted full access to Rohingya in
the states of the region

It is unclear how Rohingya refugees are treated in

those regions .

Provided the access, UNHCR shall ensure the

protection of the refugees and the stateless

The regions have to show complete cooperation in

handling this matter more like humanitarian way not
as a nuisance.
5)International community shall be included

Australia is one of the key players in offering

assistance

International community shall be coming forward to

help rehabilitate this deprived community
 Conclusion
The predicament of the Rohingya community
underscores the ongoing need for regional treaty for
the refugees in line with international standards

ASEAN community has no legal framework or

instruments governing refugee protection . Therefore
it s time for region to take intiatives in finding a stable
solution
 Reference
Embassy of Union of Myanmar in Tokyo-About Myanamr

http://www.myanmar-embassy-tokyo.net/about.htm

Global Conversation
http://www.globalconversation.org/2010/08/03/statelessness-case-study-2-rohi
ngya-
burma

Global Post http://globalpost.com

Human Right Watch

http://www.hrw.org/ja/news/2007/03/26/rohingya-refugees-burma-mistreated-
bangladesh

World factbook-Myanmar
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/